Rifle barrel cleaning device



June 12, 1956 STAMM, JR 2,749,565

RIFLE BARREL CLEANING DEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1951 IA'I/ENTOR. JUHN E- STEM/L JR.

United States Patent W RIFLE BARREL CLEANING DEVICE John G. Stamm, Jr., Ludlow, Pa.

Application October 12, 1951, Serial No. 251,055

2 Claims. (Cl. 15104.165)

This invention relates in general to fire arm cleaning devices and, more particularly to rifle barrel cleaning devices.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a rifle-barrel cleaning device embodying a collapsible, spring-metal cleaning rod and a cylindrical case constructed to store the cleaning rod in collapsed condition with one end thereof extended through an opening in the peripheral wall of the case to permit the collapsible cleaning rod to be readily extended from the case through such opening when the cleaning rod is to be used in rifle barrel cleaning operations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rifle barrel cleaning device embodying a collapsible, springmetal cleaning rod in the form of a tape-like band having curved cross section, and a cylindrical case constructed to store the cleaning rod in collapsed, wound-up condition and with one end thereof extended through a slot in the peripheral wall of the case to permit the collapsible cleaning rod to be readily extended from the case through such slot when the cleaning rod is to be used for rifle barrel cleaning operations.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rifle barrel cleaning device of the type described above which includes at the outwardly extended end portion of the collapsible, tape-like cleaning rod a coupling member swiveled to the rod and constructed to removably attach cleaning elements to the collapsible rod to permit rotation of these elements independent of the collapsible rod when same is reciprocated in a rifle barrel.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a rifle barrel cleaning device of the type described above in which the collapsible, tape-like, spring-metal cleaning rod carries at its inner end a roller member facilitating shifting of said tape-like, spring-metal cleaning rod in said housing when forced thereinto and extended therefrom and preventing complete withdrawal of the collapsible rod from the case.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rifle barrel cleaning device of the type described above in which the coupling member swiveled to the outwardly extended end portion of the collapsible, tape-like cleaning rod includes guide ribs arranged to fit and follow the rifling of a rifle barrel when the collapsible tape-like cleaning rod in extended position is reciprocated in a rifle barrel.

With the above and other incidental objects in view, which will appear hereinafter, the invention consists in certain other novel features of construction and combinationof parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a rifle barrel cleaning device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Patented June 12, 1956 Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on line 22 of said figure;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the outer end portion of the collapsible, tape-like cleaning rod;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner end portion of the collapsible, tape-like cleaning rod; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the collapsible, tape-like cleaning rod inserted into a rifle barrel for cleaning same.

Referring now more in .detail to the exemplified form of the invention shown in the drawing, reference numeral 2 denotes a cylindrical case embodying a substantially cup-shaped base 3 and a cover member 4. Base 3 has its peripheral wall 5 internally threaded at 6 and cover member 4 includes an externally threaded flange 7 threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of peripheral wall 5.

. The cup-shaped base 3 includes in its peripheral wall a slot 8 having extended therethrough the body 9 of a collapsible, spring-metal, tape-like cleaning rod 10 arranged in wound-up condition in case 2 and held against lateral displacement by flange 7 of cover member 4.

Cup-shaped base 3 additionally includes an open-ended chambered portion 11 laterally extended from the peripheral wall of said base opposite slot 8, which chambered portion protects coupling member 14 at the outer end 15 of body 9 of tape-like cleaning rod 10 when stored in its case.

Collapsible, spring-metal, tape-like cleaning rod 10, preferably made of spring steel tape having slightly curved cross section, freely rotatably mounts at its inner end 16 a roller 17 which prevents complete withdrawal of cleaning rod 10 from case 2 through slot 8 and, furthermore, facilitates winding up of the steel tape cleaning rod in said case.

The cleaning rod 10 has attached to its outer end 15 coupling member 14 constructed to include an attachment portion 18 which is secured to the body 9 of steel tape rod 10 by rivet 19 and a coupling head 20 swiveled at 21 to the attachment portion 18.

This coupling head 20 is cylindrically shaped and formed with an axial, threaded recess for removable attachment of cleaning elements such as metal brushes, cleaning-patch-holding means, etc., and, in addition, has extended from its peripheral wall 21 a plurality of guide ribs 22 sized to fit the rifling of the rifle barrel to be cleaned to properly guide the coupling head 20 and the cleaning elements connected therewith by the rifling of the rifle barrel and effect proper cleaning of the rifling of the rifle barrel without torsionally stressing the cleaning rod 10 swivel-connected with the coupling head 20.

The width of the spring steel tape of the collapsible cleaning rod is slightly less than the boreof the rifle barrel to be cleaned thereby and the thickness of such spring-steel tape is designed to permit proper winding of the steel tape upon itself when shifted through slot 8 into the case. Slot 8 has its side edges 23 lined to engage the body of the steel tape with a Wiping action prior to storage of the steel tape in case 2.

The cover member 4 is preferably threadedly connected with base member 3 by a triple or quadruple thread to permit locking engagement of these parts by a turn of less than 360 degrees. Case 2 also is used to store cleaning elements, etc. as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the case carries a wire cleaning brush 24 and a patch supporting attachment member 25, the head portion 26 of which is provided with an elongated hole 27 for connection of patches to said attachment member.

The collapsible, tape-like cleaning device herein described can readily be inserted into the bottom end of a rifle barrel without removal of the breech bolt, and when L9 forced into a barrel will not bend or be torsionally twisted in rifle barrel cleaning operations.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a rifle cleaning device a resilient cleaning rod of variable length formed by an elongated, resilient spring steel strip having slightly curved cross section to increase the bending resistance of the spring steel strip and a width slightly less than the bore of rifles to be cleaned by the rifle cleaning device and a closed cylindrical container including in its peripheral wall a narrow slot fitting said spring steel strip, said spring steel strip readily shiftably extending through said slot with its one end in said container to be arranged therein in coiled condition, and a cylindrical coupling head swiveled to the freely exposed other end of the spring steel strip, said cylindrical coupling head including guide ribs arranged to fit the grooves of a rifle to be cleaned to effect by shifting of the cleaning rod in the barrel of such rifle axial rotation of the coupling head.

2. In a rifle cleaning device a resilient cleaning rod of variable length formed by an elongated, resilient spring steel strip having slightly curved cross section to increase the bending resistance of the spring steel strip and a width slightly less than the bore of rifles to be cleaned by the rifle cleaning device and a closed cylindrical container including in its peripheral wall a narrow slot fitting said spring steel strip, said spring steel strip readily shiftably extending through said slot with its one end in said container to be arranged therein in coiled condition, a cylindrical coupling head swivelcd t0 the freely exposed other end of the spring steel strip, said cylindrical coupling head including guide ribs arranged to fit the rifiing of a rifle to be cleaned to rotate the coupling head when the cleaning rod is shifted in the barrel of such rifle, and a roller member freely rotatably secured to the said one end of the spring steel strip to facilitate coiling of the spring steel strip in the container and prevent a complete withdrawal of the spring steel strip from the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

